Chapter 781: Mysteries of the Forbidden Valley
by xennovel“The place we’re headed to is a mysterious valley about three thousand kilometers from Qinggang.”
“It lies near the Sleeping Mountains in the West, close to the roaming tribes of the highlands.”
“The original Red Moon Research Institute was built there.”
“They say it was once home to the largest number of madmen, and rumors claim that the very first madman emerged in that valley.”
“Besides, countless eerie legends from the wandering tribes around have spread worldwide—tales of deathly statues, hanging corpses wandering under the Red Moon, and enigmatic herders who tend to souls. It’s the most mysterious and dangerous forbidden zone in this world.”
……
Just before departure, Doctor An met with Lu Xin and straightforwardly shared the basic information.
“Is it all just legend?”
Lu Xin looked at Doctor An with curiosity, his eyes betraying a hint of skepticism.
The Research Institute doesn’t seem the type to treat mere rumors as solid data. If there really exists a place filled with mystery and the unknown—and if it is intricately linked to his past—Lu Xin couldn’t believe they would simply ignore it…
“Yes.”
Doctor An nodded calmly. “However, for over a decade the Institute has been trying to monitor that area.”
“In fact, we’ve sent at least a dozen teams over the years…”
“These teams included well-trained intelligence operatives, knowledgeable researchers, and even controllable ability users…”
“They even deployed a fair number of undercover operatives.”
She glanced at the undercover team members waiting nearby—especially giving a long look to the one in the red cap.
Then she shook her head. “But they all came back empty-handed.”
“Every observer we dispatched mysteriously vanished without exception.”
“And practically no valuable intelligence made it back.”
As she spoke, she paused to think and added, “You could even say…”
“That place has been circumscribed by a kind of taboo—a line drawn in the sand.”
“Beyond that line you may uncover something valuable, but if you don’t cross it, no method will yield effective observations. For these observers, that line is a death line…”
“Every observer was either too far away to notice anything…”
“Or, upon breaching that line, they would mysteriously vanish, leaving no trace behind—a phenomenon still unexplained.”
……
At this point, she paused briefly and offered an example:
“Our Institute once identified a third-stage Puppet-type ability user.”
“He could create puppets indistinguishable from real humans and control them from over a thousand kilometers away. So, we set up an observation post far from the mountain range, where he would send his puppet in for recon.”
“But as soon as his puppet entered that area, something unexpected happened.”
……
Lu Xin asked, a trace of curiosity in his voice, “The puppet disappeared?”
“No.”
Doctor An shook her head. “The puppet didn’t vanish—it appeared in the observation post instead.”
“Yet that Puppet-type ability user himself disappeared within a sealed reinforced glass chamber without leaving a trace.”
“Only the puppet that had been a thousand kilometers away inexplicably returned to its original position.”
“It drooped its head, with a smile of ambiguous meaning on its face…”
……
……
Recalling that scene sent a shiver down Lu Xin’s spine as he whispered, “That’s terrifying…”
Doctor An gave him a meaningful look, clicked her tongue, shook her head, and sighed, “Honestly, I sometimes wonder if our idiotic Director—yes, the one who dumped this so-called death investigation team on me—is driven by the fact that I push things too far. But what can you do when authority dictates everything?”
Lu Xin listened in silence.
Doctor An looked at him curiously. “Are you scared?”
“Not at all.”
Lu Xin shook his head. “I was just thinking that maybe two hundred million isn’t enough…”
……
Doctor An paused for a moment and quickly moved past the topic.
“Here’s the list of our investigation team members. Take a good look.”
She handed over a list while calling those set to accompany her to the Sleeping Mountains, urging Lu Xin to take note and adding with a half-smile, “Remember this well. In a place as mysterious as this, any bizarre entity could appear. Perhaps, as we trek along, someone might vanish without us noticing, or someone unexpected might join us without a trace.”
“Maybe, as we go on, we might end up with an extra person we don’t even recognize yet feel inevitable…”
……
Doctor An’s words involuntarily sparked some excitement in Lu Xin.
Yet, as a serious consultant worth two hundred million on this investigation team, he meticulously reviewed the list.
Including himself, the investigation team totaled seven people.
The very first entry was Doctor An’s profile:
Anya.
Gender: A true woman
Age: Confidential
Height: 183mm in high heels
Key Measurements: 78b/63/82
Specialty: ???
……
……
Lu Xin suddenly felt a bit puzzled and looked up at Doctor An.
He saw her deliberately gazing at the sunset while proudly stroking her light golden long hair.
What kind of profile is that?
An exasperated Lu Xin could only endure his mounting complaints as he continued to read.
Apart from himself and Doctor An, there were three researchers: one surnamed Zhang, one surnamed Li, and another with the surname Wang. Although his designation on the list was ‘Researcher’, Lu Xin immediately felt he couldn’t possibly be one…
…because he had thick, jet-black hair that wasn’t even artificial.
There was also a little girl named “Sissi” whose profile didn’t list an age, merely noting her role as a guard.
Guard…
Lu Xin glanced at the girl and saw that she looked very young, around eleven or twelve.
Her stature was modest, barely two fists taller than when Sister stood up.
She wore a thick white down jacket that wrapped her arms and even her calves.
Only her two feet, clad in small white leather boots, and a head with two little black buns peeking out were visible.
Every time she moved, the down jacket tinkled strangely with every step.
The last team member was the porter.
He was extraordinarily tall—seemingly larger than even Qinggang’s watchdog.
With a sallow, steel-gray face and thin clothing that barely covered his knotted flesh through the jacket,
he carried a massive solid wooden frame loaded with several suitcases.
Lu Xin noted that his profile listed him as Ah Zhen, so he handed over his own luggage to him.
……
……
Altogether, there were only these seven people. Compared to the title ‘investigation team’, the numbers were sparse.
But given the nature of the destination, it seemed just right.
After all, as Doctor An explained, “Finding someone reliable enough, with no backing and who won’t cause trouble even if they die inside, is nearly impossible. After all, the candidates we’ve found are just a handful of unloved, pitiful souls…”
“Mmm…”
Lu Xin studied the list carefully, striving to memorize each name and face.
Then he tapped the list and said to Doctor An, “We’re still missing one person.”
“Hmm?”
Doctor An was startled, quickly scanning the list with a hint of panic. “Is this where the problem begins?”
“No, no…”
Seeing her misunderstanding, Lu Xin hurriedly explained, “It’s my Sister.”
“You didn’t include my Sister?” he stated matter-of-factly.
Doctor An’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you sure you want her on the list?”
“Of course.”
Lu Xin continued, “Otherwise, what if we end up losing track and unexpectedly gain another Sister?”
“Well…”
Doctor An initially thought Lu Xin was attempting a dry joke but quickly realized he meant it sincerely.
She promptly grabbed the list and scribbled the words “Single Soldier Sister” onto it.
For her official title, she hesitated a moment before writing “Special Consultant Assistant.”
Thus, the original seven-person investigation team became eight.
Seldom did Sister show excitement over such trivial matters.
After studying the list, Lu Xin happily glanced at his Sister, only to notice she seemed distracted, carrying a small backpack and wistfully looking towards Qinggang, as if hesitant.
“What are you looking at?”
He asked her, curiosity piqued.
“I’m considering whether to bring my Messenger along…”
Sister replied earnestly, “He’s staying back in Qinggang. I worry he’ll be lonely.”
“Messenger?”
Lu Xin asked, intrigued.
After numerous training sessions, he understood well.
Many beings on the mental level, either due to the complications of manifesting in reality or their overwhelming power, prefer not to move freely. They choose a ‘Messenger’ to handle matters in the real world and enforce their will.
Just like Father—now reinstated as the King of the Night—who likely selects his own Messenger in reality.
But as for his Sister’s words…
…what need does a child have for a Messenger?
……
……
“Who is your Messenger?”
Though amused, Lu Xin couldn’t help but ask.
“No one. Let’s set off…”
Sister shot Lu Xin a wary look but said nothing as she swiftly climbed onto his shoulder.
At the same time, the transport arranged by Doctor An was already waiting outside the Base for departure…
“Lately, Sister’s been acting strange…”
Lu Xin mused quietly, glancing up at his Sister perched on his shoulder.
The journey was long, so he wasn’t in a hurry to ask.
……
……
“Are we leaving? Finally leaving?”
Meanwhile, at Qinggang Satellite City No. 2,
a Gecko who had spared no expense to buy a house near the Moon Terrace was nervously pacing in a sunlit room spanning over a hundred square meters with tall floor-to-ceiling windows. He peered through an expensive, high-powered telescope in the direction of the Base… though he couldn’t see much, his focus was intense and anxious.
Inside the Base, a staff member who he had ‘bought off’ was diligently reporting various updates to him.
“Oh my, he’s back again…”
“Huh?”
“Section Chief Chen went to his room…”
“When Section Chief Chen left his room, he seemed to tremble—as if he had cried…”
“Huh? Now he’s coming out with his luggage. Is he leaving?”
“……”
Upon hearing this, Gecko trembled excitedly, “Great, the Captain is finally leaving…”
“Once he goes, that little devil will surely follow…”
“……”
“I… I endured it…”
Gecko was almost moved to tears, “In such dire circumstances, I managed to hold on—I didn’t agree to be her Messenger…”
“Even though a Messenger is usually a trusted aide, that’s no equivalent,”
“Following the Captain I’m the Vice-captain—directly in his inner circle…”
“But following the little devil, I’m the trusted one for the Captain’s Sister. There’s an extra layer in between…”
“……”
As he mulled over these thoughts, he heard the staff member repeatedly confirm, “They’ve left. This time they really have left…”
“They left by carriage with the Research Institute team…”
“…Huh? Why is there no horse with the carriage?”
“…Huh? The carriage is gone!”
“…”
Clearly, the staff member’s panicked tone revealed the high cost paid to keep tabs on them. Deeply moved, he resolved, as previously agreed, never to appear in front of his daughter again.
After hanging up the phone, he nearly collapsed from exhaustion, though a blissful smile remained on his face.
That was the smile of freedom.
It signified that he had finally overcome a major ordeal!
Yet, lost in his happiness, he didn’t notice that a thin layer of frost had formed on the coffee table and the wall.
A chilling, penetrating cold, as if freezing to the bone, had seeped into the room—a cold that no clothing or body heat could dispel. In the distance, faint cries and agonized wails could be heard…
“Who’s there?”
Gecko suddenly reacted, flipping over in half a second to hide behind the sofa.
At the same time, his hand gripped a gun loaded with special bullets; he gently disengaged the safety with his thumb.
Then, cautiously looking up towards the doorway, he noticed a dark shadow slowly engulfing the living room.
Within that shadow, a tall figure was staring directly at him.
“You…”
Just being seen by that chilling presence made Gecko’s body freeze; every nerve lost control in an instant.
He stood as if turned to stone, paralyzed, his face a mask of terror.
“Uncle… Uncle?”
…
…
“I need a Messenger…”
The black shadow—or rather, the current King of the Night—slowly slid forward.
Fear surged like a tide, evoking the anguished wails and desperate pleas of countless wronged souls.
As the figure drew near, numerous ghostly hands began creeping surreptitiously over Gecko’s body.
They brushed against him faintly, inching upward from his ankles.
Starting at his feet, the spectral hands slowly crawled upward.
……
……
“After all these years, among everyone I’ve encountered, you’re the only one sharp enough…”
The black shadow smiled with satisfaction, “That’s why I waited for him to leave, so he would return here to find you…”
“Are you willing?”